Re-run of Cynoscephalae

As I was feeling lazy, I despatched my elite reporter back to Greece to watch Tony and Chris slug it out in a re-run of Cynoscephalae during the 2nd Macedonian War. This time Tony took the Romans and Chris the Macedonians. With Chris winning the scouting Tony deployed with his heavy infantry equally split centre and left, and his cavalry and Cretan archers holding the right. Chris matched Tony’s dispositions so once again we would see phalanx versus the Quincunx!

Chris advanced his whole army quite quickly, planning to get the phalanx into action.

Tony moved to meet him but “refused” his right, keeping his inferior and outnumbered cavalry back

and sending his veteran Cretan archers into the rough terrain to harass Chris’ veteran cavalry.

This week we finally remembered to use the QRS, and the javelin throwing between the lights was less effective than previously as targets now enjoyed the +1 to their save. All helps when you are psiloi!

The centres crashed together and once again the Romans made their pilums count, although the Velites also scored hits with their javelins.

Chris’ line broke as one phalanx retired to rally, and the Romans scenting a kill destroyed another.

The disaster for the Macedonians continued on their left. Chris veteran cavalry ponced about ineffectually throwing javelins at the Cretan archers sheltering in cover. Chris’ mood got blacker when the Cretans killed one of his veteran cavalry, meaning his General had to save and re-deploy, and he was almost in tears when the same unit of light infantry archers killed a second cavalry unit. The wing was finally shattered when the third veteran cavalry unit was killed, all without laying a glove on the Romans.

The game was up for the Macedonians when in the centre another phalanx was broken sending its accompanying light troops running as well.

All in all the most satisfying victory for Rome. They lost two units of light infantry but destroyed two phalanx and three units of veteran cavalry plus some lights. We only had one “interpretation” issue with the rules when Tony tried to charge an enemy unit diagonally through a Macedonian light cavalry unit. Not sure about this one! We all agreed the two armies look very good and next time I would like to use the Successors as Seleucids, and get some of their elephants, scythed chariots and cataphracts into action. I’m sure it will still end badly. I recall the Airfix Guide to ancient wargaming written by Phil Barker in the late 1970s. He observed that the Successors copied lots of troops from other armies but never quite worked out how to use them, whilst the Polybian Romans had a pretty limited order of battle but everyone knew what to do!

That’s it for this week.

Simon